Baseball history unpacked, December 19

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past, with plenty of the lore and various narratives to follow as they unfold over the course of time. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along.

Today in baseball history:

• 1914 - Washington manager Clark Griffith meets with Walter Johnson in Kansas City and convinces the star to re-sign for $12,500, considerably less than his recent contract with the Chifeds, with the assurance that Griffith would convince the Washington management to spring for a bigger contract later. Washington will later sign Johnson to $16,000 a year for five years. Griffith gets $6,000 from Charles Comiskey to allow Johnson to repay his Chifed signing bonus. (2)
• 1957 - In a continuing family squabble, Charles Comiskey, Jr. denies his sister, Mrs. Dorothy Comiskey Rigney’s, allegation that he used the “rule or ruin” tactic to gain control of the club. (2)
• 1974 - The race to sign newly-minted free agent Catfish Hunter begins in the law offices of Cherry, Cherry & Flythe in Ahoskie, North Carolina. Yankee and Red Sox representatives are the first arrivals. (2)
• 1986 - After finding no other clubs interested in signing him, free agent pitcher and 20-game winner Jack Morris agrees to salary arbitration with the Tigers while at the same time accusing the major league owners of collusion against free agents. Morris had offered to sign a one-year contract, with salary to be determined by an arbitrator, with either the Yankees, Angels, Twins or Phillies, but was turned down by all four. (1,2)
• 1991 - Former minor league umpire Pam Postema files a sex discrimination suit against the National and American leagues, the Triple-A Alliance, and the Baseball Office for Umpire Development. (2)
• 2001 - Free agent Moises Alou (.331, 27, 108) signs a $27 million, three-year deal with the Cubs. The former Astro All-Star’s presence in the Chicago line-up, along with Fred McGriff and Sammy Sosa, will give the team a fearsome 3-4-5 threesome. The Cubs also trade OF Michael Tucker to the Royals in exchange for a player to be named (Shawn Sonnier) . (2)

Cubs birthdays: Tony Taylor, Rob Gardner, Geoff Zahn, Rafael Soriano, Taylor Gushue*. Also notable: Al Kaline HOF.

Today in history:

• 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor.
• 1154 - Henry II crowned King of England.
• 1487 Opening ceremony of the sixth Great Temple of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) 4,000 prisoners of war are sacrificed to Aztec gods over four days [1].
• 1843 - ”A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is published.
• 1948 - National Football League Championship, Shibe Park, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Eagles shut out Chicago Cardinals, 7-0 in a snowstorm, ‘The Philly Blizzard.’
• 1958 - First radio broadcast from space, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower Christmas message “to all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill to men everywhere.”

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• For world history.

*pictured.

There is a very active baseball history community and there are many facets to their views. We strive for clarity. Please be aware that we are trying to make the historical record as represented by our main sources coherent and as accurate as is possible. No item is posted here without corroboration. Some of these items spread from site to site without being verified. That is exactly why we ask for reputable sources, so that we can address them to the originators.

Also please remember that this is supposed to be fun.